A1 Journal article (refereed)
Learning strategies, self-efficacy beliefs and academic achievement of first-year preservice teachers : a person-centred approach (2024)

Vilppu, H., Laakkonen, E., Laine, A., Lähteenmäki, M., Metsäpelto, R.-L., Mikkilä-Erdmann, M., & Warinowski, A. (2024). Learning strategies, self-efficacy beliefs and academic achievement of first-year preservice teachers : a person-centred approach. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(2), 1161-1186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-023-00729-x

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Vilppu, Henna; Laakkonen, Eero; Laine, Anu; Lähteenmäki, Marko; Metsäpelto, Riitta-Leena; Mikkilä-Erdmann, Mirjamaija; Warinowski, Anu

Journal or series: European Journal of Psychology of Education

ISSN: 0256-2928

eISSN: 1878-5174

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 01/08/2023

Volume: 39

Issue number: 2

Pages range:  1161-1186

Publisher: Springer

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-023-00729-x

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/88675

Abstract

As teacher profession can be seen as a learning profession, it is crucial that teacher education equips future teachers with high-level skills to update and increase their proficiency and expertise throughout their career. In this aim, cognitive processing strategies and metacognitive regulation strategies as well as academic self-efficacy beliefs play a crucial role. This study examined Finnish first-year preservice teachers’ (N = 538) initial learning profiles in terms of their learning strategies and self-efficacy beliefs upon entry to teacher education. Furthermore, the association between the profiles and pre-entry factors (age, written entrance exam) as well as first-year achievement was studied. The data were gathered via questionnaire from four universities and their student registers. The person-centred approach utilising a latent profile analysis was applied to identify learning profiles among preservice teachers. Three distinct learning profiles were identified: unregulated students with low self-efficacy (37.5%), average strategists with low self-efficacy (33.1%) and self-regulated and deep learners with high self-efficacy (29.4%). The first profile performed worst in the first-year studies, whereas the last profile was characterised by the oldest students and best performers in the written entrance exam. The findings expand our understanding of the initial learning profiles of preservice teachers and thus offer valuable information for teacher educators to support teaching practices and curriculum design. Practical implications of the results are discussed.

Keywords: teacher training; students; learning; metacognition; conceptions of learning; learning styles; self-efficacy

Free keywords: learning profiles; learning strategies; processing strategies; regulation strategies; academic self-efficacy beliefs; academic achievement; preservice teachers

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Related projects

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2023

JUFO rating: 1